Flood ravages seven LGAs in Yobe

Flood has washed away several houses and farmlands in seven Local Government Areas of Yobe, threatening harvests this cropping season, an official has said.

Dr Mohammed Goje, the Executive Secretary, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Damaturu.

He said some communities in Fika, Fune, Machina, Nguru, Geidam, Damaturu and Bursari local government areas lost their houses and farmlands to the flood.

“The agency had visited the affected communities to assess the damage and provide relief materials to victims to meet their immediate needs,” Goje said.

Meanwhile, farmers in the state have expressed fears over their harvests this year due to excessive rainfall and flood.

Alhaji Hassan Kallamu, a farmer in Damaturu, said his sesame seed farm and many other farmlands had been taken over by floods following heavy rainfall consecutively in the last few days.

“We have abandoned the farms for now due to the floods until when the flood rescinds,” he said.

Mr Haruna Abdullahi, a civil servant and farmer, said he planted his farm late which was now taken over by the flood.

“Most parts of the farms around the low lands of Warsalama and Kukareta areas had been swept away, this will definitely affect harvests negatively this year,” he said.

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Malam Baba Ali, a farmer in Gujba local government area, decried the heavy down pour which had washed away several farms in the downstream.

“Many farms in Gujba extending to Fika local government areas have been affected by the floods,” Baba said.

Malam Modu Makinta, another farmer in Gujba, said “if the rains persist, the damage will be colossal because some of the farms that are still standing will also be washed away”.

NAN also reports that Alhaji Idi Barde, the state Deputy Governor, had visited Ngalda and Ngelzarma communities to commiserate with over 600 flood victims who lost their houses and farmlands to the floods.

Meanwhile, SEMA had provided relief materials to the affected communities in Fika, Fune, Bursari and Tarmuwa Local Government Areas of the state.

However, communities on the shores of River Yobe, in Bade, Nguru, Jakusko, Yunusari and Giedam Local Government Areas were on red alert of possible floods as the rain intensified.

(NAN)